Category Archives: Thesis Statement Examples

Diabetes Mellitus or Diabetes, as it is commonly known – is one of the most rapidly spreading diseases in the world. According to the World Health Organization, there were nearly 171 million people suffering from diabetes in 2000 and the number is projected to increase to 366 million by the year 2030.

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder in which the amount of insulin produced by the body falls below the normal range. Insulin is normally responsible for lowering the blood sugar level in the body. In the absence of adequate amount of insulin, the blood sugar levels increase leading to symptoms like frequent urination, extreme thirst and increased hunger. There are primarily two types of diabetes – Type I and Type II diabetes. The former is caused when the body is unable to produce sufficient quantity of insulin while the latter is due to the inability of the body to respond to insulin.

Diabetes can either be genetic or acquired in nature. The rapidly growing number of people suffering from diabetes has forced the Center for Disease Control to declare it an epidemic. In the United States of America, nearly 26 million people were diagnosed with diabetes while 57 million had pre-diabetes. Experts believe that a major cause behind these increasing figures is the change in lifestyle brought about by the forces of urbanization and capitalization. The significant change in dietary patterns and the shift from home cooked meals to high calorie junk food has played a crucial role in the spread of Type II diabetes which is the more prevalent form of diabetes in developed nations by a huge margin. In USA, 90% of the people suffering from diabetes belong to the Type II category. At the same time however, diabetes is spreading at a rampant rate in Asia and Africa as well and it is estimated that by 2030, the majority of diabetes patients will be found in these continents.

Not only is diabetes a major health hazard, it is a prominent financial burden on the national economy as well. According to an estimate by the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, there is an annual expenditure of $132 billion on diabetes in the United States of America.

Diabetes Thesis Statement Examples:

* The change in normal lifestyle and dietary habits, the prevalence of sedentary jobs, the growing number of fast food chains, especially in developed countries, leads to obesity and related health problems. This has also lead to an increase in the number of people suffering from diabetes.

* There has been an increase in the instance of gestational diabetes i.e. when pregnant women develop symptoms of diabetes after childbirth. In many cases, there are chances that the child might also have diabetes. Thus, apart from acquiring diabetes as a product of lifestyle changes, genetic diabetes is also adding to the already huge number of diabetes patients.

* The epidemic of diabetes must be battled with great urgency both because of its medical implications and economic strain that it exerts on the global economy.

* Diabetes must be recognized as being catastrophic not just for individual health but also for national economies, especially in third world nations.

* Since most people do not exercise regularly the problem of diabetes is only compounding.

* Because of constant stress and work related pressures diabetic persons are unable to manage diabetes properly.

Racism is the belief that one race or culture is fundamentally superior to another, regardless of anthropological evidence to the contrary. This difference – the perceived inferiority of one race over another – is commonly employed as fair grounds for discrimination, whether institutionalized or individual. Racism runs as a counterpoint to the prevalent belief and practice of egalitarianism in much of the developed world. Yet, despite widespread efforts to cleanse social, political, and legal superstructures of racism since the mid-20th century, it still persists – covertly, beneath the fabric of society in some pockets, overtly in others.

Racism is an umbrella term and denotes discrimination based on not only race, but also culture, ethnicity, and economic power. It amounts to a preferment of people belonging to a particular class, culture, ethnicity and economic strata over another. The persecution of the Jews under Nazi rule in Germany, or the discriminatory practices in pre-Civil Rights era United States are both examples of racism.

Racism is, in its very essence, an acute form of xenophobia. An examination of the history of racism would compel us to comb through the very beginnings of human civilization when overtly protective settled groups regarded outsiders with suspicion, fear, and hatred. Evidence to the same abounds in historical and anthropological records dating back to the first developed civilizations in Mesopotamia, Greece, and Egypt. The Greek fear of ‘barbarians’ from the north can be seen as an example of xenophobic racism in its earliest avatar.

In the modern context, the classification of humanity into separate races and the subsequent discrimination was an anthropological practice started in the early 19th century. This difference between races – whether in physical attributes or societal characteristics – was taken as fair grounds for discrimination against one race or culture, and was a widespread social ideology until the mid-20th century in large parts of the world. To this effect, attempts at racial cleansing or altering the genetic composition of a population (eugenics) were practiced in certain countries.

However, social structures underwent rapid changes after the Second World War, fuelled by the independence of countless nation states previously under colonial rule and an intellectual movement towards equality and egalitarianism in much of the developed world. As an institutional practice, racism was dismantled in much of the developed world in the two decades after the WWII. Yet, racism continues to propagate beneath the fabric of society in almost every country across the world.

Racism Thesis Statement Examples:

* Increasing intercultural and interracial communication and collaboration in a globalized world will hasten the end of racism across the globe.

* The widespread societal and institutional changes ushered in America since the 1960s culminating in the election of a black president have yet done little to ameliorate the covert discrimination faced by racial minorities.

* Increasing incidents of hate crimes against racial minorities across Europe points towards the failure of multiculturalism as an institutional practice.

* The South’s resistance to the Lincoln’s anti-slavery campaign was an economic ploy meant to ensure the availability of cheap labor for their cotton plantations and not an ideological opposition to per se.

* Just because a particular person from a particular race does something very wrong, everyone from that race is being discriminated by people from so-called other races. This practice should be stopped for the good of the world.

* Racism at workplace is responsible for constant mood changes, aggressive behavior and an overall bad feeling in the minds of the affected persons. This in turn is bad for the employer and the society.

* The honest and the righteous citizens of the world are not going to be silent spectators if some people from a particular race ruthlessly discriminate against people of another race – An analysis of the achievements of organizations working against racial discrimination in America.

* Because some politicians play the racism card to garner votes and grab power, people should cautiously choose the politician whom they would want to bring to power and represent them.

* With rise in crimes related to racial hatred in Australian universities, diversity training for the students may help restrain the problem.

Movement of people into a country in violation of its prevalent immigration laws and statutes is termed as illegal immigration. With increasing income disparity between the developed and developing nations, illegal immigration has emerged as a major source of controversy in large parts of the developed world, raising political, social, and legal issues.

Immigration that circumvents the legal routes for moving into a country and /or acquiring work or residence in it may be termed as illegal immigration, though this definition is clouded by the fact that most illegal immigrants arrive into a country through legal means but overstay their legally permitted stay.

The reasons for illegal immigration are varied and complex, ranging from economic necessity to wars and reunification with family. By and large, however, the income and lifestyle disparity between developed and developing nations prompts the movement of people from poorer nations to those promising greater economic opportunities. Illegal immigration can also be of political nature, often prompted by constricted personal and societal freedom in large parts of the world, and the relatively greater freedom of expression, religion, and sexuality in developed nations.

The issue of illegal immigration is debated on political, social, economic and even philosophical spheres. Illegal immigration can place significant stress on the existing economic superstructures in a country, but at the same time, assist the said superstructures through the provision of cheap and effective manpower. Illegal immigration can also alter the social structures in a locality, instances of which can be seen in parts of America with extensive immigration.

On a philosophical plane, the very term ‘immigration’ defies a straitjacketed definition, especially in the context of nations like America and Australia which were populated relatively recently in history. As nations founded on the premise of immigration, the term ‘illegal immigration’ can be construed as a misnomer, as many proponents of the same are quick to point out.

Nevertheless, illegal immigration continues to be a matter of much debate in developed nations and some of the more economically progressive developing nations, often dividing opinion sharply. Quantifying the economic and social effects of illegal immigrations on existing populations and structures has proven to be particularly problematic, as the strain on economic structures is often counteracted by the benefits of cheaper labor. Furthermore, as evidenced in America, many illegal immigrants can become valuable members of the society as entrepreneurs, artists, writers and politicians, making it difficult to evaluate the long term societal effects of illegal immigration.

Illegal Immigration Thesis Statement Examples:

* The apparently detrimental economic effects of illegal immigration in the southern states of the United States are offset by the benefits in terms of cheaper labor.

* Geographical proximity to a developed region determines the volume of illegal immigration as evidenced by the extent of immigration from Mexico in southern US states.

* Illegal immigration is an effect of increasing economic disparity among populations in developing nations brought on by extensive capitalism and the ensuing irregular distribution of wealth.

* Illegal immigration in European countries cannot be divorced from the erstwhile colonial policies of said European nations.

* Illegal immigration is a function of an increasingly globalized world that promotes movement of people, goods and knowledge across national boundaries, and thus, must be encouraged rather than condemned.

* Illegal immigration is a great threat to the host countries – A study of the status in United Kingdom over the last one decade.

* The increasing number of illegal immigrants in the southern states of United States of America has negatively affected their economies.

* Non-equitable distribution of wealth in the developing countries is the main cause of illegal immigration to developed countries.

* Illegal immigration to the United States is thriving due to the support of some greedy immigration consultants.

* Accurate differentiation between illegal immigrants and asylum seekers is important. Some illegal immigrants are using the asylum seeking route to continue to stay in developed countries.

Recycling is essentially a process of conversion of waste into more useful products. It forms the third spoke in the waste management wheel, alongside “Reduce” and “Reuse”. The extraction of useful products from existing waste in an environmentally responsible way is crucial to efficient waste management, especially in light of environmental concerns raised since the latter half of the 20th century.

Recycling has been employed in cruder forms to manage waste and extract usable materials since the very beginning of human civilization. Largely compelled by scarcity, pre-industrial societies recycled scrap metal and other raw materials for reuse. However, it wasn’t until widespread industrialization across Europe that recycling was adopted as a practice on an industrial scale. Spurred by the demand for cheaper consumer goods, manufacturers were forced to rely on recycling waste products for reusable scraps, eventually giving birth to the modern recycling industry.

Recycling today is targeted at the collection of recyclable material, such as glass, paper, metal, plastics, textiles and electronics, and the subsequent extraction of reusable, useful raw material from it. Technically, the textbook definition of recycling would entail the reproduction of material bearing the exact characteristics of the original waste. That is, a piece of paper would be recycled into another sheet of paper bearing similar qualitative characteristics. However, practically, this is expensive and energy intensive. Thus, most waste materials are recycled into alternative products or materials. For instance, a scrap piece of paper might be recycled into rough paperboard instead.

The exponential increase in human waste production since the beginning of 20th century has necessitated rapid improvements in recycling technology. In developed societies, virtually all waste – domestic or industrial – is re-routed through a recycling process to extract all possible reusable materials from it. This is not only economically efficient, but more importantly, reduces the need for landfills and the environmental stress they cause.

Recycling is a crucial component of modern waste management practices. It forms an integral part of the 3R concept or waste disposal hierarchy of ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’. It can vastly reduce pollution and environmental stress. At the same time, recycling has emerged as a veritable industry in its own right in the past few decades, generating employment for hundreds of thousands of people across the globe.

Recycling Thesis Statement Examples:

* The finite quantity of most natural resources and the infinite thirst for the same has made recycling one of the most important movements that promote sustainability in the 21st century.

* While recycling is intended to reduce waste and curb pollution, many recycling processes and industries actually end up contributing significantly to environmental pollution. Thus, the need of the hour is to phase out antiquated recycling technologies and develop cheaper, more efficient recycling processes.

* Efficient and effective recycling requires the large scale participation of the general public to be successful. Any waste management program that does not involve the public is bound to fail.

* The export of electronic and biological waste from affluent western countries to poor, developing nations as part of the recycling process is another form of economic imperialism.

* The recycling industry employs poor, untrained workers with little regard for their safety. If the recycling industry is to succeed in its aim of creating a sustainable planet, it needs to arm its workers with adequate safety equipment and training.

* Recycling is an environment-friendly process. However, there is a need to introduce cheaper and better recycling technology for widespread use.

* The ship-breaking industry must take note of the environmental damage it is causing to certain nations around the world and implement proper recycling mechanisms.

* The untrained and unskilled workforce does not really help the cause of recycling. Measures should be taken by the recycling corporations to employ trained and skilled workforce.

* A study of the most hazardous materials in whose respect recycling can be done with clear advantage to humanity.

* Land filling is a costlier exercise for the municipal administration when compared to recycling of domestic waste.

* Lack of large scale public participation in respect of electronic waste recycling is a serious cause of worry.

* The dumping of British electronic waste in poor African countries is causing health and environmental hazards. There is an urgent need to consider cost-effective and technologically advanced electronic waste recycling in the United Kingdom.

* Because most individuals and companies alike do not have the time or inclination to get rid of electronic waste by themselves; free pickup facility by the respective municipal administration will help in recycling electronic waste properly.

The illegal trade and exploitation of human beings for forced labor, prostitution and reproductive favors is termed human trafficking. Human trafficking is a transnational phenomenon and is second only to the international drug trade in relation to organized crime. By some estimates, it is a multi-billion dollar business affecting several million people in virtually every country across the globe. It is equated with a modern day version of slavery.

According to the Trafficking Protocol adopted by the United Nations and cosigned by all UN members in the year 2000, human trafficking can be defined as the ‘recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt’ of person through force or coercion against their will for the purpose of prostitution, forced labor, and slavery. However, because human trafficking is a process and cannot be pinned down to a single act, it has been difficult to arrive at a universally accepted definition for it. The above is the only definition agreed to by all current UN members.

The exploitation and trade of human beings is the modern day equivalent of erstwhile practices of slavery, and as such, is an equally lucrative industry, generating global annual profits in excess of $30 billion. Human beings are generally traded for bonded, forced labor, or sexual exploitation. It is estimated that over 4 million people fall prey to trafficking every year. Women and children are the most vulnerable victims of trafficking, though increasingly, men are also being trafficked to work as unskilled labor in factories.

Human trafficking is a transnational phenomenon, even if a majority of the actors are third-world nations. The movement of people, illegally and against their will isn’t spatially confined to any particular geographic region, but affects virtually every country across the globe. And with increasing globalization, the extent of human trafficking has only increased manifold over the past decade, fuelled by a greater need for forced labor to meet a growing demand for cheaper goods in the developed world.

Thus, a combined, concentrated effort is needed to weed out this modern-day version of slavery. To consign this as a largely third-world phenomenon would be to understate and undermine the gravity and extent of this transnational crime.

Human Trafficking Thesis Statement Examples:

* As a transnational crime, human trafficking requires intense international co-operation to be curbed and controlled. To localize the problem to one particular region or nation would be to undermine any efforts to control it.

* Human trafficking is the modern day equivalent of slavery and must be recognized as such by the international community if this transnational crime is to be weeded out.

* Human trafficking is inherently tied to poverty and income disparity. Statistics and studies from the third-world prove that this is largely localized to the developing world.

* Human trafficking implies the sale and purchase of human beings as property. Consequently, it requires both a buyer and a seller. Any effort to curb and control human trafficking, thus, must focus on both these involved parties – a willing seller, and a motivated buyer.

* Human trafficking as a phenomenon is widespread even in the developed world. In the United States, for instance, more than 15,000 people are forced into the modern day equivalent of slavery every year. Even if this transnational crime has its roots in the developing world, its branches reach out to the first world as well.

* Legal measures taken to prevent human trafficking in the United Kingdom have failed drastically.

* Because of rampant poverty in Thailand the problem of human trafficking is growing rapidly.

* The magnitude of the problem of human trafficking between India and Nepal: Timely development plans are required for Nepalese women.

* Organized crime and sub-standard life in developed societies: The human trafficking syndicates in the United States.

* Natural disasters are responsible for the growth of trafficking in children: An analysis of the Haitian situation after a devastating earthquake in the year 2010.